Stage 32 + Vail Film Festival Present: Women in Film - Personal Stories

Hosted by Top Female Filmmakers

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Top Female Filmmakers

Webinar hosted by: Top Female Filmmakers

Meet the Panelists of Women in Film: Personal Stories Lesley-Ann Brandt - Actor, Producer Actor: Netflix's LUCIFER South African born actress, activist and supermom Lesley-Ann Brandt stars on Netflix’s global hit series LUCIFER and had a breakout role on the Starz hits, SPARTACUS: BLOOD AND SAND and SPARTACUS: GODS OF THE ARENA. Brandt's other credits include the film DRIFT opposite Sam Worthington, Fox's GOTHAM and the dark comedy, KILLING WINSTON JONES starring opposite Richard Dreyfuss, Danny Glover and Jon Heder. Alexandra Barreto - Producer, Director, Actor Filmmaker: LADY HATER (Tribeca Film Festival), TOO LATE (Robert Forster & John Hawkes) Actor: THE FOSTERS Alexandra's directorial debut, LADY HATER, premiered at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival. The Audible Original Series she directed stars Meg Ryan, Rachel Bloom, and Sam Richardson, and her film TOO LATE starred Oscar nominees John Hawkes and Robert Forster. As an actor, she is best known for her five-year run on THE FOSTERS. She currently can be seen on the FX hit MAYANS MC.   Robin Bronk - Producer Producer: POLIWOOD (Barry Levinson) Robin Bronk is the CEO of The Creative Coalition, the leading nonprofit arm of the entertainment industry. Ms. Bronk produced the feature film, POLIWOOD, directed by Academy Award-winner Barry Levinson, and executive produced Before You Know It, starring Alec Baldwin, Mandy Patinkin and Judith Light. Ms. Bronk speaks at colleges and universities as well as the Cannes, Sundance, Toronto, and Tribeca film festivals and serves on the New York Cultural Task Force, as well as the boards of The White House Project and The Close Up Foundation, and is a member of the Public Relations Society of America and Women of Washington. Leslie Alejandro - Director, Filmmaker, Celebrity/Fashion Photographer, Activist Filmmaker: SMILE (Dances with Wolves Film Festival)   Leslie premiered her first horror short SMILE at Dances with the Wolves Film Festival in 2019. She was previously partner and executive editor of a fashion magazine. Her work has been featured in Vanity Fair, GQ, Vogue, Glamour, Men’s Health, The Wrap and more. As activist she has been a member of the Human Rights Campaign for more than a decade and actively campaigns for the inclusion and visibility of people of color “above and below the line” in the entertainment industry. Mali Elfman - Producer Producer: THE PARTY'S JUST BEGINNING, written, directed by, and starring Karen Gillan (JUMANJI, AVENGERS, GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY) Mali Elfman is a prolific producer of feature, short form, and episodic content. She recently produced THE PARTY'S JUST BEGINNING, written, directed by, and starring Karen Gillan (JUMANJI, AVENGERS, GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY). Ashleigh Snead - Producer Producer: THE RANGER (SXSW), SCARE PACKAGE, THE PALE DOOR Ashleigh has years of business and production experience, both in and out of the film industry. With an MBA from NYU and an entrepreneurial spirit she launched two successful children’s clothes companies before making the switch to film. She has worked as a producer on eight feature films, including the 2018 SXSW punk rock horror hit, THE RANGER, Shudder's summer 2020 horror/comedy anthology release, SCARE PACKAGE, and witchy western THE PALE DOOR coming to theaters this Fall. Your Moderator: Amanda Toney - Producer & Managing Director at Stage 32 As Managing Director for Stage 32, Amanda oversees operations and business development for the global business. She has curated over 1,200 hours of online education created exclusively for Stage 32, and works with hundreds of entertainment industry executives from around the world to serve as educators and mentors. She has spearheaded partnerships with such prestigious organizations as the Cannes Film Festival Marché du Film, American Film Market, SXSW, Austin Film Festival, Raindance Film Festival, Hollyshorts Film Festival, PGA, WGA and DGA, as well as brands such as AT&T, Peerspace, Pond5, Mandy, Bondit Media Capital and her personal favorite partnership, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, which is the official vodka of Stage 32. As a producer, Amanda has worked on the psychological thriller What Lies Ahead starring Rumer Willis and Emma Dumont; Chick Fight, starring Malin Akerman, Alec Baldwin and Bella Thorne, Metaphorms, a Hungarian film, which premiered at the Raindance Film Festival and Dolphin Girl, an entire Stage 32 production in conjunction with the St. Petersburg Film Commission. She recently sold an unscripted show to a major US network. Amanda has spoken all over the world at the Cannes Film Festival (France), Hollyshorts Film Festival (US), Raindance Film Festival (UK), Hamburg Film Fest (Germany), Trinidad & Tobago Film Commission (Trinidad), Fest Festival (Portugal) and Harvard (US) on the business of the entertainment industry. Full Bio »

Webinar Summary

Stage 32 and Vail Film Festival have joined forces to bring you an exclusive FREE virtual Q&A with top female filmmakers from the festival! Now, no matter where you live in the world you can tune in!

The 2020 Vail Film Festival took place online from May 15-17, and had a special focus on female filmmakers. In addition to film screenings, the festival included filmmaker Q&A sessions, a filmmaking workshop, and a women in film panel discussion featuring leading female producers, actors, and directors. The 2020 film program will showcase narrative features, documentaries, short films, and student films. This year's lineup includes films starring Simon Pegg, Annette Bening, Juno Temple, Alexandra Daddario, Wendie Malick, Danny Trejo, Maggie Siff, Sabrina Carpenter, Natalie Zea, Jay Mohr, Jason Ritter, Kristen Vangsness, Rose McIver, and more.

The lineup for the 2020 Vail Film Festival is unparalleled, and we encourage Stage 32 members to attend the virtual festival and support their fellow filmmakers. As part of our partnership, Vail Film Festival is offering Stage 32 members an exclusive 25% off discount on all-access passes to the online festival. Stage 32 members can use the code stage32 at checkout. For more info and to purchase a pass to the online Vail Film Festival please visit: www.vailfilmfestival.com


What You'll Learn

As part of our partnership, we are incredibly excited to host a FREE virtual panel alongside Vail Film Festival entitled "Women in Film: Personal Stories" - now available on demand. The discussion focuses on the panelist's personal filmmaking journeys. They talk about the lessons they've learned and share tips they've picked up from their experience in the film industry. The panel features seven powerhouse female voices of entertainment, including:

  • Lesley-Ann Brandt - Actor, Producer (LUCIFER, SPARTACUS: BLOOD AND SAND, SPARTACUS: GODS OF THE ARENA)
  • Alexandra Barreto - Producer, Director, Actor (THE FOSTERS, MAYANS MC)
  • Robin Bronk - Producer (POLIWOOD, directed by Academy Award-winner Barry Levinson, BEFORE YOU KNOW IT, starring Alec Baldwin, Mandy Patinkin, & Judith Light)
  • Leslie Alejandro - Director, Filmmaker, Celebrity/Fashion Photographer, Activist (Leslie's work has been featured in Vanity Fair, GQ, Vogue, Glamour, Men’s Health, The Wrap and more)
  • Mali Elfman - Producer (THE PARTY'S JUST BEGINNING, written, directed by, and starring Karen Gillan)
  • Ashleigh Snead - Producer (THE RANGER, SCARE PACKAGE, THE PALE DOOR

Moderated by our very own Amanda Toney - Producer & Managing Director, Stage 32 (WHAT LIES AHEAD starring Rumer Willis and Emma Dumont)

About Your Instructor

Meet the Panelists of Women in Film: Personal Stories

Lesley-Ann Brandt - Actor, Producer

Actor: Netflix's LUCIFER

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT Stage 32 is the Official Networking Education Partner of Vail Film Festival

South African born actress, activist and supermom Lesley-Ann Brandt stars on Netflix’s global hit series LUCIFER and had a breakout role on the Starz hits, SPARTACUS: BLOOD AND SAND and SPARTACUS: GODS OF THE ARENA. Brandt's other credits include the film DRIFT opposite Sam Worthington, Fox's GOTHAM and the dark comedy, KILLING WINSTON JONES starring opposite Richard Dreyfuss, Danny Glover and Jon Heder.

Alexandra Barreto - Producer, Director, Actor

Filmmaker: LADY HATER (Tribeca Film Festival), TOO LATE (Robert Forster & John Hawkes)

Actor: THE FOSTERS

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT Stage 32 is the Official Networking Education Partner of Vail Film Festival

Alexandra's directorial debut, LADY HATER, premiered at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival. The Audible Original Series she directed stars Meg Ryan, Rachel Bloom, and Sam Richardson, and her film TOO LATE starred Oscar nominees John Hawkes and Robert Forster. As an actor, she is best known for her five-year run on THE FOSTERS. She currently can be seen on the FX hit MAYANS MC.

 

Robin Bronk - Producer

Producer: POLIWOOD (Barry Levinson)

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT Stage 32 is the Official Networking Education Partner of Vail Film Festival

Robin Bronk is the CEO of The Creative Coalition, the leading nonprofit arm of the entertainment industry. Ms. Bronk produced the feature film, POLIWOOD, directed by Academy Award-winner Barry Levinson, and executive produced Before You Know It, starring Alec Baldwin, Mandy Patinkin and Judith Light. Ms. Bronk speaks at colleges and universities as well as the Cannes, Sundance, Toronto, and Tribeca film festivals and serves on the New York Cultural Task Force, as well as the boards of The White House Project and The Close Up Foundation, and is a member of the Public Relations Society of America and Women of Washington.

Leslie Alejandro - Director, Filmmaker, Celebrity/Fashion Photographer, Activist

Filmmaker: SMILE (Dances with Wolves Film Festival)

 

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT Stage 32 is the Official Networking Education Partner of Vail Film Festival

Leslie premiered her first horror short SMILE at Dances with the Wolves Film Festival in 2019. She was previously partner and executive editor of a fashion magazine. Her work has been featured in Vanity Fair, GQ, Vogue, Glamour, Men’s Health, The Wrap and more. As activist she has been a member of the Human Rights Campaign for more than a decade and actively campaigns for the inclusion and visibility of people of color “above and below the line” in the entertainment industry.

Mali Elfman - Producer

Producer: THE PARTY'S JUST BEGINNING, written, directed by, and starring Karen Gillan (JUMANJI, AVENGERS, GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY)

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT Stage 32 is the Official Networking Education Partner of Vail Film Festival

Mali Elfman is a prolific producer of feature, short form, and episodic content. She recently produced THE PARTY'S JUST BEGINNING, written, directed by, and starring Karen Gillan (JUMANJI, AVENGERS, GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY).

Ashleigh Snead - Producer

Producer: THE RANGER (SXSW), SCARE PACKAGE, THE PALE DOOR

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT Stage 32 is the Official Networking Education Partner of Vail Film Festival

Ashleigh has years of business and production experience, both in and out of the film industry. With an MBA from NYU and an entrepreneurial spirit she launched two successful children’s clothes companies before making the switch to film. She has worked as a producer on eight feature films, including the 2018 SXSW punk rock horror hit, THE RANGER, Shudder's summer 2020 horror/comedy anthology release, SCARE PACKAGE, and witchy western THE PALE DOOR coming to theaters this Fall.

Your Moderator: Amanda Toney - Producer & Managing Director at Stage 32

As Managing Director for Stage 32, Amanda oversees operations and business development for the global business. She has curated over 1,200 hours of online education created exclusively for Stage 32, and works with hundreds of entertainment industry executives from around the world to serve as educators and mentors. She has spearheaded partnerships with such prestigious organizations as the Cannes Film Festival Marché du Film, American Film Market, SXSW, Austin Film Festival, Raindance Film Festival, Hollyshorts Film Festival, PGA, WGA and DGA, as well as brands such as AT&T, Peerspace, Pond5, Mandy, Bondit Media Capital and her personal favorite partnership, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, which is the official vodka of Stage 32.

As a producer, Amanda has worked on the psychological thriller What Lies Ahead starring Rumer Willis and Emma Dumont; Chick Fight, starring Malin Akerman, Alec Baldwin and Bella Thorne, Metaphorms, a Hungarian film, which premiered at the Raindance Film Festival and Dolphin Girl, an entire Stage 32 production in conjunction with the St. Petersburg Film Commission. She recently sold an unscripted show to a major US network.

Amanda has spoken all over the world at the Cannes Film Festival (France), Hollyshorts Film Festival (US), Raindance Film Festival (UK), Hamburg Film Fest (Germany), Trinidad & Tobago Film Commission (Trinidad), Fest Festival (Portugal) and Harvard (US) on the business of the entertainment industry.

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If you've watched Netflix regularly, you are familiar with their top 10 list and more than likely noticed that kids TV content like COCOMELON, CARMEN SANDIEGO and HENRY DANGER tend to dominate the platform. The truth is there's never been a better time to get involved in kids' TV, especially since networks and streamers are actively looking for new content. Yet in order to write successfully in this space or find success with your own show, you have to know who you are writing for in order to do it well. When writing for kids, you need to be just as knowledgeable and intentional on your approach as you would with any other audience. Just like adults, there are certain aspects to master on how to craft a good and engaging story that younger audiences will latch on to. When writing for kids, you may feel limited in the elements you can include in the story. However, it’s important to remember that when you are writing for kids, you are really writing for a family experience. Kids often watch television with their parents, therefore, it is important to get an understanding of how to write engaging stories that will appeal to all viewers. In order to do this, you need to know what kids are looking for, and how your story aligns with the market’s demand. You not only need to have a compelling story that connects but the tools to pitch and sell your story to producers to get them interested in bringing your project to life. We have the tools and strategies to help you venture across this bridge. Kirill Baru is a sitcom writer and executive producer who’s staffed on and sold a variety of live-action and animated comedy shows and has written in the adult space, where he’s produced series like Freeform’s BABY DADDY and the critically acclaimed animated show DAN VS. on the HUB. He’s also written and produced several series in the kids space, from Disney’s SYDNEY TO THE MAX to Cartoon Network’s MAD: THE ANIMATED SERIES. When Kirill isn’t staffing on shows, he’s developing projects with networks such as Disney and Netflix. He attributes his career to writing comedy that finds a way to have a lot of edge without ever losing any of its heart. Kirill will provide you with a wealth of knowledge and resources on how to successfully craft your TV series for Kids. Kirill will give you an overview of Kids Comedy series and where your series fits in today’s market and discuss some unforeseen obstacles you may face. He will also give you tips on writing for Kids TV such as what kids are drawn to, how not to talk down to them, the difference between Nickelodeon and Disney, how to use POV to your advantage and much more. In addition, Kirill will also teach important aspects of pitching and selling your Kids TV - what makes it different from pitching adult TV, how to create something that kids have never seen before but that is familiar, and the power of co-viewing. Once you have completed this webinar, you will feel much more confident about writing and packaging your Kids TV series and making it market ready. Plus! Kirill will walk you through the pitch document he created for his show EAGLETON ESTATES that he successfully sold to Netflix Kids and provide you with homework of what your next steps should be to sell your own project.

TV Animation 101: How a Hit Animated Show Gets Made

Learn the step-by-step process of how animated series get made from Brandon Gale, a Script Coordinator who has worked on LYLE, LYLE, CROCODILE for Sony Pictures and MARVEL'S HIT MONKEY! Plus! You'll receive scripts for hit animation series BOJACK HORSEMAN, ARCHER, and FUTURAMA, and "Brandon's Commandments of Writing" to help you create your animated series!   Congrats, you’ve come up with (or maybe even written) a pilot for an animated show. And it’s good, really good, maybe even a hit.  But you’ve never worked in animation before and have no idea how the show will actually get made. What creative should you consider when creating your animated script? How do you go about getting your script made into an animated series? What are all the steps of an animated production? How long does the animation process take? There are so many questions you may have about the animation production process and Stage 32 is here to help answer them for you.  The rules are different for TV animation than they are for live action, and the process is long and complex. In the current landscape, there are more ways than ever to make an animated show. But with each method – from hand-drawn flat animation to computer-generated 3D graphics – comes a toolbox of techniques and drawbacks that need to be explored to be mastered. Simply put, animation is a creative choice. And the choice needs to have meaning to your story. And that’s only the beginning…your show needs to be written for the medium you’ve chosen, voice acted expertly, designed by a team of highly skilled artists, reanimated many times to make it perfect, then mixed and mastered all before it’s put on screen for the public to enjoy. Throughout the entire process, you’ll be working with a team of writers, animation directors with an animation studio, your TV network’s executives, and more, all in service of creating the same vision. It’s a long process, and may seem daunting, but it’s all in service of creating beautiful pieces of art. And so can you. Join us in this exclusive Stage 32 webinar as Brandon Gale, experienced script coordinator, brings his expertise in animation – from his experience on films like LYLE, LYLE, CROCODILE for Sony Pictures or shows like MARVEL’S HIT MONKEY – and provides you with a comprehensive overview of TV animation development and production. Brandon will teach you everything from how animated stories are crafted on the page to how the voices are recorded through the entire animation production process. If you want to create an animated series, it's imperative you understand the entire pipeline of how an animated show gets made. Brandon will provide you everything you need to know so you can have success in getting your animated pilot turned into a series! You will be looking at examples from MARVEL’S HIT MONKEY, ARCHER, BOJACK HORSEMAN, and more as we answer your questions about the animation process. PLUS! You'll receive exclusive downloads to help in your animation journey. Downloads include: BOJACK HORSEMAN Pilot Script ARCHER Pilot Script FUTURAMA S1,E13 – "Fry and the Slurm Factory" Script "Brandon's Commandments of Writing"    Brandon on Teaching for Stage 32 “Working in animation has expanded my eyes to what a TV show can accomplish creatively. It’s been a truly rewarding experience, and I can’t wait to share the stories and the lessons I’ve learned with the entire Stage 32 community.” 

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